Burgos: Favre, Manning write different chapters to the same book

While Brett Favre was writing the latest chapter in the same old book this past Sunday, Peyton… While Brett Favre was writing the latest chapter in the same old book this past Sunday, Peyton Manning was writing a new one.

Favre concluded the story of his career with the same ending — an interception that eventually lost his team a playoff battle and a comprehensive comeback to propel his team to the biggest game of all.

For all the talk and attention good ol’ number ‘4’ has received this year, amidst all the “one of the greatest of all-time” rhetoric and the fantasy of a story-book ending for Favre, not nearly enough attention has been paid to Manning, who is quietly staking his claim as THE best of all time. And this championship Sunday signaled loudly what may be the definitive legacies of both quarterbacks.

As it stands today, Favre is the owner of nearly every major NFL passing record. He’s got the most completions in league history, the most passing attempts, the most yards, the most touchdowns, the most regular season wins and most consecutive games started — by anyone. He owns a bevy of playoff passing records as well. Oh, and he’s thrown the most interceptions too.

Peyton Manning is in the top 10 of all those categories as well as the top four for wins, completions, yards and touchdowns. He is 34th in interceptions.

This season, Favre was truly one of the best in the game. At 40 years of age, he led the Vikings to 12 wins and one playoff victory. But against the Saints in the NFC Championship game, Favre did what we know him to do best: he threw an interception on what could have been the game ending drive and Minnesota lost in overtime.

It was the second time in the past three seasons that Favre has tossed the eventual game-losing pick in the conference championship game. It’s the third time since 2003 he’s been intercepted on a potential game-winning drive in the playoffs, his team eventually losing the contest.

So while Favre was reliving the past, Manning was redefining his. Down 17-6 late in the first half against the Jets, Manning showed why he might soon have a place in the Sports Pantheon, alongside Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Muhummad Ali. Manning went 17 of 23 for 250 yards and three touchdowns from then on, leading the Colts to 24 unanswered points and a 30-17 victory. Game over. Comeback sealed. Super Bowl XLIV ticket punched.

Though Manning already has one Super Bowl to his name, he’s laid his fair share of playoff duds. He’s lost games favored against New England (2003 and 2004) and San Diego (2007 and 2008) twice, and the Steelers once in 2005, after remarkable regular seasons. But this year — after a 14-win season and a call to trial for the Colts tactic to rest players down the stretch in favor of a pursuit of perfection — Manning led Indianapolis where they were expected to go against the best defense in the NFL.

This was a new Peyton. This was his greatest playoff performance ever and the image will be lasting. Now, poised to raise his second Lombardi Trophy in the last four years, Manning is pushing aside history on his way to the tag of “Best Ever.” With one more victory, he’ll be in the elite company of play callers with multiple rings. He’ll have a shot at a third over the next five years. In that time, he’ll probably eclipse all of Favre’s statistical milestones.

The final package will be the most impressive combination of championship prowess and statistical achievement the NFL has ever seen. Favre, for all his accomplishments, will forever remain in the discussion of the greats. He will strut into retirement in his Wrangler jeans with a Super Bowl ring, three MVP awards and whole lot of fanfare.

But he won’t be going out on top. Instead, Favre will likely retire on the whim of a flaky pass and crushing loss. And Manning, when his final snap is taken, will shine alone at the top.